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Women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a later stage of the disease's progression if they are uninsured or live in poor neighborhoods, research shows. The research team compared census data with information on 161,619 patients from cancer registries in several states. "In all these states, we looked at every woman ever diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer [age 40 and older] between 2004 and 2006," said Kevin Henry, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Utah.

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Cancer patients from 15 to 39 years old who do not have health insurance are more likely to have had their cancer diagnosed at a late, less easily treated stage than their peers who have health insurance, American Cancer Society researchers found. Compared with patients with private health insurance, the risk of having cancer diagnosed at a late stage was 1.51 times greater among uninsured men and 1.86 times higher in uninsured women, according to the study in the journal Cancer.

An analysis in the journal BMJ revealed breast implants can complicate breast cancer detection and delay diagnosis. Women with implants were 26% more likely than those without to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. Researchers also found those with implants had a 38% higher mortality risk.

Live coral coverage on Caribbean reefs has dropped significantly since the 1970s, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. "The Caribbean, as a whole region, seems to be in a very poor state," said Chris Perry, a geography professor at the University of Exeter who has studied the area. Some conservationists are attempting to revive the reefs by "seeding" them with fast-growing coral specimens, but others are skeptical about the effectiveness of the practice.

An interactive map based on a new study allows users to see how average commuting times vary across the country. It takes the average U.S. worker more than 25 minutes to commute one way, and 8% of workers spend an hour or more getting to their jobs. Almost 600,000 people are classified as "mega-commuters," which means they travel at least 90 minutes and 50 miles to work.

A study of Illinois residents showed people living in urban areas were more likely than their rural or suburban counterparts to get a diagnosis of breast, colorectal, lung or prostate cancer later in the disease's progression. Chicagoans had the highest rates of late-stage cancer diagnoses. Researchers said more urban-based programs are needed for education and screening, especially for vulnerable groups.